1999 Peugeot 206 Reviews - Page 3 of 7

1999 Peugeot 206 GTi 2.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Faults:

Engine sounds noisy on start up, but does fade somewhat after a while, and the exhaust brackets snapped off.

Seat are starting wear a little (around the rib cage area).

General Comments:

The 206 is a good looking small car and I consider it to be one of the better looking super-minis available (much better than the modern Peugeot's, even if it is ever so slightly girly).

The interior of the car is quite well laid out; you can adjust the steering wheel rake, but not reach, and you can't adjust the height of the seat either, but it is just adequate. There isn't enough room for your feet really (but that is being a little harsh seeing as this is a relatively small car).

The seats are quite comfortable and supportive (GTI has half leather and alcantara also)... the dash is the main let down; while it isn't ugly, it is just poor quality plastic.

The performance was good, and overtaking was made quite easy due to the 2.0 engine, but it isn't a rocket ship. While I say it was good, any small car with 130bhp should be pokey. It can even be called economical if you keep it below 3500 revs (this is a warm hatch, so I doubt that you'll be doing that often though).

The poorest aspect of the car is the handling. In the dry it is a chuck-able car up to 55mph-ish, but over those speeds it feels a little unstable (the car just feels like it isn't heavy enough) and on a wet road its almost laughable. It wheel spins without any provocation, and under-steers at every corner like the french little piggy that it is.

I do get the impression that the engine isn't the strongest in the world, and after 80 odd thousand miles I'm expecting something to go on it fairly soon... fingers crossed though.

In conclusion, it isn't an awful car, but there are much better packages available, and the thought of paying £14k for a new one seems crazy (I wouldn't have considered a 206 normally, but this one was at a very low price).

1999 Peugeot 206 LX 1.4 from Israel

Summary:

A good buy only for the first 2 years

Faults:

Ignition computer gone off after 5 years and had to be replaced twice - at a very expensive cost. A/C condenser had gone after 3 years. Water pump tubes - a chronic disease with Peugeot - gone much earlier. Clutch gone at 50,000 km (typical 70 - 90,000)

The performance of of the 1.4 75hp engine is miserable at most - will be fine in a crowded city, but not on the highway. Maintenance and spare parts are very expensive.

General Comments:

Well there are some good things. The design and appearance are awesome. The comfort of French cars is beyond comparison to anything else. My wife had a much more expensive WV Passat, but when driving even for hours with the Peugeot - the back and body comes out fresh every time unlike the stiff painful back and legs that come out of the Passat (how typical French and German qualities!) This car also sticks to the road beautifully given the bad bumps and roads of the Middle East. Overall the build quality is a disaster, it is much less reliable than the old 205 that I had for years and it is much too heavy and slow. The worst of all is the extreme unreliability of this car which make me and my friends rethink the whole concept of buying a French car anymore - I guess we should switch to Japanese and that's a shame.

Summary:

Faults:

Nothing major so far, although I have had to replace the batteries for the keys.

General Comments:

Excellent looks, from the metallic paint to the standard alloys this car is a head turner.

The 1/2 leather seats and the air conditioning add to the comfort of the ride, making the driving more fun.

My average miles per gallon is 45 although many times I have reached over 50. This is excellent compared to many other cars with similar performance.

It is very quick off the mark, it beats many petrol cars in acceleration although top speed is not as good as the ford focus.

The 6cd changer comes as standard and the speakers are very loud, I was considering to buy a sub-woofer and amplifier, but decided not to as there was really no need for them.

It is only insurance group 5, I currently pay £1360 in my sole name (I am 18 and this is my first car. This is a cheap quote as on other cars with similar performance and engine size my insurance was near £3000.